1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shot applicator device and, more particularly, to an automatic shot applicator device including a housing with a shot storage area and/or delivery chamber, a tip structured to deliver the shot into tubing attached to various fishing tackle/equipment including fishing rigs, line, hooks, leaders, fly fishing tippet, and/or inserting directly into lures and baits, thereby changing the density (add or decrease weight) of the fishing tackle/equipment, and a mechanism structured to apply a force to the shot thrusting it through the tip and into such material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ball shaped sinkers, or shots, are used in the fishing industry to add weight to fishing lines. These ball shaped sinkers are usually made of malleable metal, sufficient to create a slit therein (“split shot”) so that the shot can be attached to fishing line (by inserting the line into the slit and applying pressure to both sides of the slit to close the slit over the line).
Many conventional shot applicator tools/devices require a mechanism to create a slit in the shot so that it can be attached to fishing line. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,976 describes a tool which includes a pair of handle-operated jaws which receive a spring-fed rod therein for the severing of an end portion of the rod and a die-forming of the severed portion about a received line. In conjunction with the severing of the rod portion, a rod section immediately adjacent thereto is provided with a slit which is to receive the line as the subsequent portion of the rod is severed from the rod and die-formed about the line.
Another example is the Dinsmores Products shot applicator device, which is called the “Auto-Shot.” This device also requires the formation of a slit in the shot so that it can be attached to fishing line.
One conventional shot applicator tools/device does not require the formation of a slit in the shot so that it can be attached to fishing line includes the Toobies-Shot™. However, the Toobies-Shot™ device installs the shot into tubing by manually pushing the shot into the tubing. Moreover, the shot must be magnetic for the tool to work. The tip of the tool is magnetized to hold the shot in place.
Description of the Related Art Section Disclaimer: To the extent that specific publications/devices are discussed above in this Description of the Related Art Section, these discussions should not be taken as an admission that the discussed publications/devices are prior art for patent law purposes. For example, some or all of the discussed publications/devices may not be sufficiently early in time, may not reflect subject matter developed early enough in time and/or may not be sufficiently enabling so as to amount to prior art for patent law purposes. To the extent that specific publications/devices are discussed above in this Description of the Related Art Section (as well as throughout the application), they are all hereby incorporated by reference into this document in their respective entirety(ies).